Demi Lovato Staged a Comeback—And You Can Too

If you've seen SELF's August cover story with Demi Lovato, you know that she's overcome a lot in the past year. We all go through hard times and some struggles, like Lovato's, are more difficult to bounce back from than others. But whatever you're facing, here are some tips that will help you overcome a setback and leave you feeling stronger and happier.

Pat yourself on the back! You’ve come out on the other side of a rough time, and you should be proud of yourself for getting through it. It can take awhile to get back to feeling 100% again, so don’t get discouraged if you’re still not quite back to where you want to be. But you’re on the mend, getting back to living the life you want to be living, so give yourself credit.

Take stock of your friendships In her interview, Lovato says that surrounding herself with a positive group of people has played a big role in her recovery. As you’re starting to rebuild your life, ask yourself which friendships you want to salvage and which were unhealthy. Try to reconnect with the friends who you know will provide a strong support system. Check back in with these people and explain what went down with you. For the closest friends you might be more willing to give details; for other people, prepare a general response. Surrounding yourself with people who really know you, and who are supportive of you, will help you get that much closer to feeling like yourself again.

Take stock of life in general What wasn’t working before? Were you isolated? Not exercising? Partying too much? Or worse? Try to assess what triggered those bad habits so you can try to avoid them–with the help of a professional, if necessary. Then, try to come up with new daily routines (whether that simply means going to the gym more often or steering clear of old, toxic pals) that make you feel happy, healthy and strong.

Remember, it may take a while for you to fully bounce back. Allow yourself some bad days, but don’t let them keep adding up. If you feel like you need help–reach out sooner this time, rather than later. Ultimately, you’ll get to a place where the good times outweigh the bad.

Dr. Catherine Birndorf is a psychiatrist specializing in women’s health, founding director of the Payne Whitney Women’s Program at New York-Presbyterian Hospital in NYC, co-author of The Nine Rooms of Happiness and SELF’s Happiness Expert.

Got an issue with your job, your boyfriend or your roommate? Dr. Birndorf can help! Write to her, and her advice for you could appear in a future blog or issue of SELF.